I wasn't planning on it, but today marks 90 days sober for me. I originally gave up booze for lent this year and I didn't really tell anyone about it because I wasn't sure if I'd go through with the whole 40 days. I'm not religious, I just thought it seemed like a good period of time for a challenge. I'm also not a huge drinker but I started to notice how lousy it was making me feel.

As I've progressed on my yoga journey, I've become a lot more in tune with my body. I'm more aware of what and how I eat, how I move, how I sleep, and how I feel at any given point in time. Aches and pains or stomach aches and headaches are no longer a mystery, I can almost always pinpoint exactly what caused me to not feel well. As a consequence of becoming more aware of the effects things were having on my body, it became easier to avoid things that were triggering negative effects. My perception has shifted and I'm leaning further away from instant gratification and more toward long-term wellbeing.

Everyone loves a numbered list, so here are the 5 No's of Being Sober

1. No hangovers. Not a smidgen of a headache or upset gut. Everyday is another fresh, clean morning.

2. No wasted time. Because I'm not hungover, I'm not wasting any time on the weekends curled up in bed praying for the pounding head to pass. I can get up and go and get everything done.

3. No wasted money. I'm not spending money on a purposeless and frivolous expense. The pub bill never gets so high.

4. No shame. I never feel bad about stupid things I did or said. No domestic disputes or embarrassing texts.

5. No one cares. No one cares that I don't drink alcohol. The people who love me, still love me. No one gives me a hard time (although please stop asking if I'm pregnant).

I'm not making any plans on whether or not I'll ever drink again. I just feel good now.